EdEarl

Wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone park,with great success. We should study this case history to learn from it what we can, and carefully reintroduce species we have killed off into the environment. The opportunity for unintended consequences is very large; it occurred in Yellowstone, but was, as far as known, for the good of the park and its biosphere. However, it could have been a disaster.

I think the technology is important, because we are on the verge of making many animals extinct, and if we find we need some of them back to guarantee a viable niche, we need to be able to do it. However, I think it would be irresponsible to bring back a mammoth, a one-of animal similar to an elephant that probably depends on a herd, then to keep in a zoo or other poor habitat. I think that would be cruel.

I think the biology on Earth might make them ill, and sterilizing the planet would cure their potential ills. Actually, I think the most likely aliens will be cyborgs or robots, and they have no reason to invade Earth. They can find all the raw materials they need in so many places that stopping by Earth would just be something to do for fun. They could cloak their ship and land without our knowing. And, there are more possibilities than science fiction writers have dreamed. Who knows what would tickle the fancy of an Unknowableitarian.

If I were an alien wanting to inhabit Earth, I'd wait till 2100 to see if climate warming would be enough to release the methane hydrate from the ocean's floors. If not, I'd help it happen, and that would destroy almost all life on Earth. It wouldn't take a mother ship, only a scout with undersea robots that could dislodge the methane hydrate. Finishing off the few thousand humans that manage to survive in caves would be easy.

Welcome to SFN, faruk; enjoy.

Does someone have a concern about the voracity of thinkprogress.org (See post #3, which received a -1)?

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Good ideas, if you get green sticks from trees, they will be supple and you won't have to wet them. Just cut the ends of branches as long as you need them, the very small ones only. Use heavy metal scissors or pruning shears.

You can make it as simple or complex as you wish, using materials from a model shop or things you find in the environment. Check out this FB page for some ideas.

I just noticed a left arror <- on the left hand side of Forum Topics, where the dot, star, and lock icons appear. What does the arrow maen? Thanks.

I hope Armando Solar-Lezama solves this problem, because it could make a big difference in program development times. However, I don't know if a single person can do it. I think the problem might be better done with a DARPA challenge. There are some problems that can be solved by applying standard scientific formulas, such as F=ma and E=mc2, However, most programming problems depend on the context of things like tax-laws, industry procedures, and corporate environment. Some are static, like F=ma, but some are fluid and change over time, depending on customer preferences, for example. Thus, code needs to be captured in an information base that can be searched quickly, perhaps with Prolg-like rules. During large development projects, many programmers work on a project, but they are very isolated, because programmers are often not very social people; it is a requirement for working at a terminal for long hours to develop code. Several people developing programs may write and debug the same code segment (i.e., a small bit of code a bit more complex than F=ma, except developed for a particular tax related, industry standard, corporate culture, customer). The first time it is done is useful manpower, but afterward, that code might be used to shorten the time for the next ten people who write the same code. One way it could work is for a programmer to state his inputs and required outputs. In some cases, input data only needs to be rearranged, as during a sort, but in other cases, output data is totally different than input data. In either case, there may be multiple algorithms that can use the same input data and yield the same output data elements, but processed in different ways. Thus, there will be a need for a dialog between the programming system that helps the programmer and the programmer to select an appropriate algorithm. I think computers are now capable of storing and searching through programs fast enough to be useful, but the software needs to be specified and developed.

Everything in the Universe is part of Nature; thus, if you consider anything clever, it is natural.

From the earliest use of technology, fire making and stone working, it's uses have been for both good and bad. Fire can warm or burn, stones can protect or murder.

Additive 3D printers for plastic, concrete, and common metals, subtractive printers (mills and other cutters) for many materials, and robot assemblers both stationary arms and mobile robots are available. The era in which these machines will be programmed to make themselves is coming soon. Cars and other vehicles can drive themselves, which means earth moving for mining, road building, and site preparation can be done without drivers. A few people will design sites and oversee the machinery, but work that has been done for centuries by labor forces will be displaced by machinery. One really good thing that will occur is people will not need to drive to work, use of oil for driving will be curtailed, and CO2 emissions will be reduced. The social changes that occur are unclear, when manufacturing and construction jobs disappear.

Hi Michele, welcome to SFN. Enjoy. Several threads have already been started about robots, which you can find by searching. You should include 3D and 4D printing in your search, because these printers are a form of robot. And, of course, search for other important keywords such as AI, AGI, brain, and neuroscience. IMO scientists are not far from having a robot that can operate machines in machine shops and foundries with programming to build copies of themselves. They could also be programmed to repair themselves or each other. However, AGI appears to be a long way off.

Hi Lizzie and Mike. I just welcome people because it is friendly and seems odd for people to leave a Hi without someone answering. Thanks for helping Mike. And, Hi Planetman, welcome to SFN. Enjoy.

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1/1656109_792401920787422_145646067_n.jpg

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/service/global/map-percentile-mntp/201401.gif It's hot, and climatologists say it's supposed to be getting hotter much faster.

A cartoon: https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/12421_10153842855300010_1018520272_n.jpg

Carbon nanotubes can be 100 times stronger than steel, but so far they cannot be made very long. Recently a less strong carbon nanotube fiber has been developed. See: http://news.rice.edu/2013/01/10/new-nanotech-fiber-robust-handling-shocking-performance-2/

FX, And, the salt water ponds are great for growing algae, which can be used in many ways, including pellets for pellet stoves, separating algae oil to make biodiesel, separating protein to make animal or human food, separating biochemicals for industrial use, spreading it directly as fertilizer, etc.

This technology needs to be tuned for use in various temperatures, but promises to be very useful.

Guns are already available to criminals, a few more will not make a big difference.

Interference from ambient light sources will depend on the optics of the receiver (analog of an antenna for microwaves). If the optics allow broadband input, any polarization, and 360 degree input, then there will be interference from all light sources. On the other hand, (for example) if the receiving element is focused in a single direction, narrow beam, for light polarized in one direction of a specific color (wavelength), then interference will be minimized. Or, one might allow 360 degree unpolarized multiple wavelength light and minimize interference by using spread spectrum electronics in the receiver and transmitter.